September 19, 2007

Net Neutrality Precis

Adam KilkerInternet TechnologiesPrecis # 1

Net neutrality – in general it is another law that is preventing Internet users from doing their normal, everyday things. This time, companies like AT&T and Verizon want to charge people that would like to use the Internet extra monthly fees pending on how many websites they would like to search on a monthly basis. In addition, companies would also like to regulate which websites would be able to have faster access to the Internet based on their paying for the faster service.

For instance, if CNN.com were to pay a set amount just like some other sites then those sites that paid would be granted some extra boost with their online speed. Many people are against this New neutrality proposal saying that it will have trouble enforcing the new rules, it will cause a lack or innovation and possibly destroy all ease in communication that current users enjoy. A lot like those people, small businesses around the world agree by have similar statements about how it would cause troublesome times between companies, would completely get rid of the communication pluses that are right now thriving and would simply destroy their clients if their businesses were only Internet savvy.

The new service would also prioritize certain websites, programs and applications according to their ease in use as well as the amount of people that previously used the sites, programs, etc. In addition to providing those services at higher speeds because the companies would most likely be paying for that opportunity the companies would also gain more market share because they were one of only a few companies that were being highlighted.

The article also touched on theories that the net is currently used for vast forms of advertising, a wide variety of entertainment many financial transaction sites and places for financial thriving.

Now, assuming that this bill went through, passed and was put into effect by 2008, that would put the world at a near crisis state. The more I think about weather or not this makes any sense at all to me, the more things that I can think that are negative about this entire plan. Just for starters, the plan would mean that Internet would be cut off from normal everyday people that simply only use the internet for one or two sites. This is true because there will more than likely not be a plan for people to use one or two sites and there will probably be a plan starting at around 10 or 15 I am guessing. My reasoning for this is that those people will not e wanting to pay the price I believe is in store for people who will have to end up paying for this. Secondly, this entire plan seems to be causing a “legal” monopoly. By this I mean simply, after this plan is put into effect, assuming that it will be, only certain companies will be used because they will be the only ones being advertised to the mass media, because they will be paying for faster internet privileges they will be used by many other people that realize that this is an opportunity to jump on, they will bringing in new consumers by the thousands day-by-day assuming that nothing goes wrong with their advertising. Lastly, these companies that will be receiving the faster bandwidth will be holding an extremely unfair advantage to other sites that are smaller but still growing on the web. Those businesses that are mostly on the web for instance, eBay, will continue to thrive just fine on the web because they are the predominant bidding and auction web site. Although eBay would still be the most-used site for bids and auctions, sites like Ubid.com, which is a similar auction site and derives almost entirely online, would not thrive nearly as much.